Sunday, December 28, 2008

Leaves a bad after-taste

Remember how many people have said that Islam is a religion of peace? And many too have said that the statement is baloney.

Maybe this incident has nothing to do with Islam, but the Inquirer reports of a beating of the de la Paz father and son by Nasser Pangandaman Jr and his bodyguards in a golf club. Nasser Pangandaman Jr., a namesake of his father who is a Cabinet secretary of PGMA, is definitely Muslim. Name sounds Muslim, and he is, even worse, a town mayor of Masiu, Lanao del Sur -- one cannot be more Muslim than that.

Humbug.

This punching-kicking muslim mayor even asks the proverbial "Don't you know who I am?" line as if everyone ought to know who he is. It is not surprising for government officials to say that. Should it be that he really does not know who he is.

I'll make guesses.

He is used to doing things and getting things done in his little kingdom much like a dog does to its bitch. If it feels, it does.

He is used to beating people if they complain. What does he do in his town, when his constituents complain? Perhaps they do not complain for fear of getting a beating?

He is an absentee mayor. What is he doing in Manila at Christmas? Surely he must have gone to Manila earlier, to celebrate Christmas? When his province is in some panic because of the MILF threats, he goes to Manila (to celebrate Christmas?). He wants to make sure that he does not get hit by friendly-fire?

He is a child beater. He probably would say his bodyguards did the beating, huh?

He has a father who cares nothing for victims of the beatings done by his son. Would he care also if his son does even greater evils as a mayor? Just asking, Sec. Because when one cannot take care the of the little things, taking care of the big things in life would be really difficult.

This really leaves a bad after-taste. Did you have lechon at Christmas? Nothing beats limoncello to take away the after-taste.

Update 12/29: Bambee writes of the incident involving her father and brother. Obviously, the Pangandamans say otherwise.

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On another note, it isn't only the Philippines who has weird, sometimes useless, projects. California is hoping to get funding from the federal government so that it can start building a high-speed train system (SF-LA-Anaheim). In the face of economic uncertainty, CA wants a high speed train that will sell tickets probably costing much more than a plane, regular train, or bus tickets. And to think that in some areas where the proposed line will pass, because of the mountains, the HST can only travel up to 30mph. Does a HST cut down on gas emissions? Perhaps, as cutting down on emissions seems the only reason for doing anything in CA? Read here.